Published on: June 7, 2018
Shot hole borers are tiny insects the size of a sesame seed that don't look particularly harmful, but don't let their diminutive size fool you. Two of these borers are invasive—the polyphagous shot hole borer and the Kuroshio shot hole borer. They carry pathogens and are spreading them throughout southern California. Together, the borers and the fungi are a deadly combination that are killing many trees. Trees affected include avocado, sycamore, white alder, box elder, cottonwood, and willow.
The two shot hole borers are nearly identical in appearance, and both have a symbiotic relationship with several pathogenic fungi. The female borers lay eggs which introduces fungi into trees. The fungi grow and provide food for...
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Tags: borer (5), buy it where you burn it (1), dieback (6), disease (52), firewood (7), fungi (10), invasive species (11), Kuroshio (2), polyphagous shot hole (1), trees (18), UC IPM (373)
Focus Area Tags: Pest Management, Yard & Garden
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